Chapter 115: Elder Zhou's Recovery

Seeing the ring in the bartender's hand, Ye Fei pulled out his master’s heirloom from behind his back. It was a chain from the ancient world, which, according to the old man, could subdue any stubborn malevolent energy. Since the dark aura was also a form of sinister power in this world, he figured he could neutralize it prematurely.

*Whoosh.*

The bartender was still rambling on about the magic of the ring, never suspecting that the malevolent aura within it had already been drained.

As soon as Ye Fei unleashed the chain, it locked onto the ring’s dark energy.

"What the—?"

The bartender noticed something was wrong. The ring, which had been emitting black mist just moments ago, now looked like a plain, unremarkable antique with no trace of anything mystical.

"Where is my malevolent aura?" the bartender roared. He glared at Ye Fei, and seeing his calm and collected demeanor, his face flushed with rage. "It was you! You bastard! Where is my aura? You’d better bring it back, or you’ll regret this!"

Ye Fei dropped his previous tearful act and laughed heartily. "Hahaha, you’re quite something. Now that you’ve lost your aura, what can you do to me? Also, why did you kill Old Man Zhou?"

The bartender’s expression darkened. "And who are you?"

"Who I am is unimportant, but first, tell me why you killed Old Man Zhou? You know what that malevolent energy does—once infected, there is no chance of survival!"

Hearing Ye Fei’s words, the bartender chuckled. Suddenly, veins bulged on his forehead as he pointed at Ye Fei and shouted, "Because he deserved to die! Someone offered money for his life—ten million! At his age, he’d already enjoyed everything he could. Since his life was worth money, why shouldn't I be the one to enjoy it?"

What kind of twisted logic was that?

After the bartender finished speaking, Ye Fei was speechless. He knew the man’s reasoning was wrong, but the way he said it with such conviction almost made Ye Fei doubt his own stance.

The bartender lunged forward and grabbed Ye Fei by the collar. "I’m warning you, you’re a useless waste now, don't force me to do something! Where is my aura?"

...What a classic sociopath.

Ye Fei forced himself to stay calm and said helplessly, "Big brother, if someone has money, that’s their business. Who are you to decide when someone dies? And human life isn't something you can just toy with; it’s not your place to intervene."

The bartender ignored him and threw a punch. In an instant, his face went pale, and he looked at Ye Fei with shock.

"You... you know martial arts? You actually have combat skills?"

Ye Fei caught his fist and said indifferently, "Even without using my spiritual energy, you’re no match for me. I can kill you with techniques alone! Speak—who paid you to kill Old Man Zhou?"

He snatched the ring off the bartender's finger.

The bartender was deathly pale, but he still stubbornly retorted, "I won't tell you. Ten million is enough for me to live freely and easily."

The man's bones were not as tough as his mouth. Ye Fei squeezed his fist, and with a series of sickening cracks, all the bones in the bartender’s fingers were shattered.

"Aaaah—!"

The scream pierced the air. Ye Fei comforted him softly, "Alright, alright! Stop yelling and tell me who is behind this, and I promise you’ll walk away unscathed."

The bartender, bloodless and trembling, whispered, "The Bai family of Jiangnan. Young Master Bai gave me the money."

There were few prominent antique-dealing families in Jiangnan—only the Bai family and the Zhou family. It made perfect sense that the Bai family would want to eliminate the Zhou family.

*Forget it,* Ye Fei thought. *As long as Old Man Zhou is saved, why bother getting dragged into this mess? I still have things to do for my senior sister; I shouldn't waste time here.*

"Get lost. Why do something so wicked? Bringing misfortune upon your ancestors like this! That malevolent energy will ruin your luck; being left without heirs will be the least of your worries."

With that, Ye Fei turned and walked away, not caring if the man understood or not.

Back at the hospital, although Old Man Zhou was protected by Ye Fei’s spiritual energy, his condition hadn't improved, and the doctors were calling it a "final flare-up" before death. Only Xie Huaiyan looked grim, whispering, "No, the old man is under divine protection."

After everything that had happened, Zhou Baita trusted Xie Huaiyan’s words and kept the doctors from intervening.

"Grandpa, I’m back!"

Xie Yaxuan was red-faced with anger. As soon as she entered, she started bad-mouthing Ye Fei in front of Xie Huaiyan. "Seriously, Grandpa, he isn't a good person! You just don't believe me! He even said to me..." She paused, finding it hard to put into words. "Anyway, he’s just not a good person."

Old Man Zhou frowned slightly and looked at Xie Yaxuan sternly. "Child, Physician Ye is not someone you can judge so casually."

Xie Huaiyan glared at her, signaling her to leave so she wouldn't annoy the old man.

Once outside the room, Xie Yaxuan pouted, her mind filled with thoughts of Ye Fei, which only made her more furious.

In the scenic area, Ye Fei had been walking for a long time. Footsteps followed him at a constant distance. The person behind him had deep internal strength—likely someone who had practiced for many years.

An expert of this caliber was either a professional assassin or a scion of a martial arts family.

Ye Fei suddenly stopped and said lightly, "Who goes there? Friend or foe? Why not come out and speak?"

...

The surroundings were dead silent, and even the footsteps of the "Ghost Physician" had vanished.

He looked around, seeing only dilapidated facilities and no sign of anyone. Had he been hallucinating?

No! Ye Fei shook his head firmly. Those footsteps had been too eerie, hovering between the intent to strike and restraint.

*Where did this fearless bastard come from?*

"Fellow Daoist, come out and speak!"

Not far away, under a greyish wooden pavilion, a man in a black robe stood against the wind, matching the bleak scenery.

"Fellow Daoist has deep internal strength. With this level of cultivation, you should be at the level of a sect leader, even within a major organization," Ye Fei offered a tepid compliment. Though he didn't know the man's intentions, etiquette was always the right first step.

"I heard you know the specific cause of my disciple's death?"

Ye Fei became interested. "May I ask, who is your disciple?"

"Xing Yue."

*That brat was his disciple?* Xing Yue had told him everything back then, but he had never mentioned any domestic sect.

"Sir, I do know the cause of Xing Yue's death, but I’m afraid I cannot tell you much at this moment."

Xing Yue’s death wasn't simple, and even after investigating for so long, this was all Ye Fei had.

A powerful wave of pressure surged toward him. Ye Fei immediately channeled his internal spiritual energy to resist, but he was still forced to take a step back.

"Spiritual energy? It really is! To have such skills at such a young age—if it weren't for the boost from spiritual energy, I couldn't think of any other reason. Whose disciple are you? When did you start practicing spiritual energy?" The man fired off a series of questions, leaving Ye Fei unsure where to begin answering.